Jun 26 10 Baseball Facts Every Fan Should Know

It's easy to get caught up in the pageantry of America’s favorite past time and fun to cheer on your favorite team (or the latest bandwagon Cinderella), but to truly call yourself a baseball fan, here are 10 baseball facts you should know.

First, consider the ball itself.

1. How many perfectly sown stitches adorn that object of America’s affection? 108

2. Now that that’s settled, what is the life span of that well stitched Major League ball? 5-7 pitches (no wonder they give so many away to fans!)

Opening day is a time honored tradition in baseball. What is the one baseball fact you should know about it?

3. Who was the first sitting President of the United States to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day? William Howard Taft on April 14, 1910

Now let’s talk about players who make this game worth watching, worth loving, and as American as Apple Pie.

4. Babe Ruth - How much did he get paid in 1930-31 season? $80,000. This adjusted for inflation is just north of $1.1 million today. Seems a little light for the heavy weight hitter.

5. Kurt Flood – In 1969, Flood refused to go to the Philadelphia, Phillies in a proposed trade from the Saint Louis, Cardinals and he appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. Although ultimately unresolved through the legal system, Flood’s refusal to be told where to go helped to create the Free Agency system in place today.

6. Bill Hawke - Hawke itched the first no hitter at the current pitching distance of 90 feet for the Baltimore Orioles vs. Washington Senators on August 26, 1893.

7. Hoyt Wilhelm – In 1952, during his first Major League at bat, Wilhelm hit a homerun. His career lasted 21 years and he had 493 plate appearances, but he never hit another home run.

Who is the best team? Well, I know there is no argument to be made here. We all have A LOT to say about this, but if you ask the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, they have their own opinion.

8. The New York Yankees. They have 24 inductees. Say what you must. I get it.

And now more random yet altogether important facts.

9. Who invented this game anyway? Abner Doubleday

10. Who wrote “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”? - Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer in 1908. Interestingly, neither of the authors had ever attended a game before writing the song.

See, don’t you feel smarter already? Whether you use these facts in your next trivia game or to entertain a stranger during a seventh-inning stretch, there is proof you are a true fan because you know some interesting and seriously random baseball facts.